Grid operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines sought the intervention of Malacañang to help prevent a power shortfall in the coming dry months by managing demand and consumption.
NGCP sent a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Jan. 31 to warn about the power situation in the coming months, including the election period.
NGCP provided different forecasts, including a worst-case scenario involving 15 weeks of yellow alerts and 14 weeks of red alerts in Luzon, taking into consideration the generator maintenance movements and historical unplanned shutdowns.
The Visayas grid is also forecast to have four weeks of yellow alerts and up to 49 weeks of red alerts under the same scenario, especially if no power is imported from Luzon.
“Red and yellow alerts simply mean that the consumers are vulnerable to power interruptions. While these are merely projections, and the actual supply-demand dynamic will keep on moving, we are urging the government to look more closely at possible demand side interventions, including but not limited to the declaration of a special non-working holiday on critical election and counting days,” NGCP said.
Based on NGCP data, the critical period begins in the week of April 18 until the week of May 30.
NGCP said demand would rise to 12,387 megawatts in Luzon this year, exceeding the pre-pandemic levels of 11,344 MW.
The grid operator said several generating units already extended their maintenance shutdowns, while others derated their operations and decreased their committed generation outputs in January which led to the declaration of the yellow alert status over the Luzon grid on Jan. 10 and 11.
NGCP said it is imperative to include historical date on shutdowns on its forecasts outside the Grid Operating and Maintenance Program, “considering the increasing regularity and severity of unplanned maintenance shutdowns by power plants.
The letter was signed by NGCP vice chairman of the board Robert Coyuito Jr. and president and chief executive Anthony Almeda.
Meanwhile, NGCP said that at 4:03 p.m. of Feb. 9, it successfully completed and energized the two special towers of the Ubay-C.P. Garcia 138kV Line toppled by Typhoon Odette.
NGCP said that through its emergency restoration systems, a temporary by-pass line was constructed to restore the interconnection of Bohol to Leyte, six days ahead of schedule.
Bohol sources about 60 percent of its energy requirements from suppliers within the Visayas Grid through its interconnection to Leyte.
The permanent restoration of the towers is ongoing using a new tower design with a higher wind-rating to increase its ability to withstand stronger typhoons.
These new and sturdier towers are expected to be completed by April 2022.
NGCP said it provided 27.5 million worth of assistance to affected communities by Typhoon Odette.
The assistance was in the form of relief packs, hot meals, sacks of rice, bottles of water, shirts, blankets and roofing materials to local government units in the Visayas and Mindanao for distribution to affected families.